It’s a common question: How long does it take to design and build a custom home in Calgary? The answer isn’t always obvious for people who haven’t been through the process before. Whether it’s a single-family or multi-family home, it can be an intricate and complex process going from your dream to an actual home.
Many factors influence the length of the design and build for your new home, including the design time and permit process. We’ll explore these and more to help you know what to expect when the time comes to design and build your custom home
Custom Home Design & Building: A Timeline Breakdown
Many factors affect how long it takes a custom home to go from an idea to a home that’s ready to live in. While timelines vary, each process has an average time from start to finish.
Delays can and do happen, of course, but working with an expert custom home designer makes the process run considerably smoother.
Let’s take a look at how long each phase of getting a custom home designed and built generally takes in Calgary.
Discovery Phase
Timeline: 1 month
What happens in this phase: You will meet with your designer to review your responses to our Design Questionnaire, outline your vision for your new home and your must-haves, and work together to prepare for the design phase. This phase is fun. It’s where you articulate your vision.
There will be an initial consultation with your designer where you discuss your desires, lifestyle, and needs so that they can be incorporated into every step of the design. During this phase, we can also help connect you with a home builder if you do not have one already.
What can cause delays: As you spend time discovering your needs and wants, there may be decisions you need to make that require some thought. That takes time, and it’s important in this phase to ensure that your wants and needs are communicated clearly to prevent revisions or costly changes during the rest of the design and construction process.
Design & Develop Phases
Timeline: 3 months
What happens in this phase: This is where the fun begins. Your custom home designer takes the conceptual drawings created during the discovery phase and designs your home.
Our team is committed to being in regular contact with you throughout the design phase and will pause when needed to ensure you’re happy with the direction of the design. There can also be consultations with the municipality.
Still, the goal is ultimately to refine design drawings until there’s clear client approval before creating detailed drawings. We will be using 3D modelling software to help you visualize your new home in Calgary.
What can cause delays: The level of detail and complexity of your custom home can impact how long its design will take. Many design elements require a client’s approval, so delays in getting back to the designer can extend the total time it takes to complete this phase. The goal is client approval and getting every little detail exactly right for them.
Permit Approval Phase
- Single-Family & Semi-Detached
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- Development Permits: 3-4 months
- Building Permits: 1 month
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- Multi-Unit
- Development Permits: 4-5 months
- Building Permits: 1-2 months
What happens in this phase: Building permits ensure new homes meet building safety codes as outlined in the National Building Code – Alberta Edition, while development permits align with Calgary’s Land Use Bylaw.
A custom home designer can help navigate every step of this phase, as it can be complicated, and their experience in getting both single-family and multi-family homes built can be an invaluable resource.
What can cause delays: Public consultation is required, and objections from neighbours can cause delays, while requests for relaxation of the land-use bylaw can further slow down the process. Working with a custom home designer helps here, though, as they have experience with Calgary’s bylaws and understand when they will likely be relaxed.
Construction Phase
- Timeline for single-family homes: 10-14 months
- Timeline for multi-unit properties: 12-18 months
What happens in this phase: This is one of the final stages of home building, where home builders take your design and make it a reality. It includes:
- Site preparation, like land clearing, surveying, and excavation.
- Foundation work, including footings, waterproofing, and prepping for utilities.
- Framing, including skeleton construction, sheathing, and roofing.
- Rough-ins, like plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, along with inspections.
- Insulation and drywall
- Exterior finishes, such as siding and trim, windows and doors, and painting and sealing.
- Interior finishes, such as flooring, cabinetry, millwork, and the installation of fixtures and appliances.
- Landscaping and exterior details, including grading and drainage, driveways, and walkways.
After construction comes final inspections and walkthroughs where local authorities ensure the home meets code and safety requirements. The builder will also do a walkthrough with the homeowners to explain the features and address concerns.
From there, a punch list is made that includes any final adjustments or touch-ups to complete.
What can cause delays: The project’s complexity will affect how long it takes, as will the availability of tradespeople and home builders. In extreme cases, supply chain delays and especially challenging weather can affect the speed with which the construction phase can be completed, especially when it comes to roofing and exterior work.
Make Your Dream Home a Reality
While the process of designing and building a custom home or multi-family home takes a fair amount of time in Calgary, it doesn’t have to be tedious. It can be remarkably fun and rewarding.
As a custom home designer, Ellergodt Design has the privilege of working with a broad spectrum of clients, from hearing about their desires and needs to seeing those dreams become a home that blends seamlessly with their lifestyles.
Working with a custom home designer can help you navigate every step of your home design journey, from consultation through to the moment your new home is built and ready to live in. Dealing with municipal bylaws and connecting with the right home builder can also be challenging, but our experienced team can help.
If you want a home designed uniquely for you by experts, fill out our contact form, email us at info@beginwithdesign.com, or call us at 587-802-2304.